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| - “I still say we’re taking an awful risk, Bail,” said Mon Mothma. “We still don’t know the Jedi’s stance on this.” “All the better to find out,” Bail replied. Mon Mothma stared at him, frown lines furrowing her face. She was the newest addition to the still functioning Loyalist Committee as well as the youngest. The daughter of the Governor of Chandrilla, her voice carried far in the Senate despite her youth and inexperience. At times she could be cordial, even warm but now she was as amiable as a block of ice and as cold. Also present was Danta Pela, more grown into his position as Senator of Naboo even though he still had his detractors. He could not replace Nalanda, but Bail was glad to have him on board nonetheless. He could be counted to stand among those to do what was right. And it was Danta who suggested that they should approach the Jedi, something that Organa had been reluctant to consider at first. Yet the new security measures passed following Palpatine’s rescue had forced him to reconsider. “Look, I know you have reservations,” he explained to Mon. “I have some myself, but we are going to get much further with the moral authority of the Jedi on our side.” “But will they choose our side?” she asked him. “How do you know the Jedi will not side with the Chancellor?” Bail was prevented from answering this question when his aide announced Padmé. Padmé cordially greeted Senator Organa, yet she still did not know what to expect from this meeting. Senator Mothma was introduced, and pleasantries were exchanged. Finally, Bail dismissed his aides and the protocol droid and looked at Padmé seriously. “I hate asking this, but I must request for you to be discreet of what will be discussed here,” he said. “As a Jedi there are some…limits to my discretion,” Padmé explained. “But I will do everything I can.” Mon Mothma flashed Bail a frosty look, Padmé noticed this and politely ignored it. What was going on here? “I assume that you have seen the new security act that was passed yesterday?” Bail asked her. “Yes, the Chancellor now has control over the Jedi Council,” Padmé said. “It sounds a bit… extreme.” “Extreme?” Mon Mothma asked. “Far from it, it seems to be the pattern of what Palpatine is doing lately. This morning he posted a decree to appoint governors to oversee all star systems.” “Theysa under his control,” Danta explained. “I am sure he has his reasons…” Padmé said but Bail cut her off. “The reason I asked you here, Padmé is that there is only so much we can do as Senators,” Bail told her. “Even less,” Mon Mothma added. “As of this morning, the Senate no longer exists as a practical matter.” “Yet the Jedi represent the public face of the war,” Bail continued. “Particularly certain Jedi.” He’s talking about Anakin, Padmé realised, and Anakin’s the first one to object to someone speaking against Palpatine. “We need to know where the Jedi stand with this,” Mon intoned. “We are not Separatists trying to leave the Republic. We are loyalists, trying to preserve democracy in the Republic.” “And the Chancellor is increasingly becoming the enemy of democracy,” Organa finished. “Are not the Jedi obliged to act if the democracy of the Republic is threatened?” “Well, yes,” Padmé replied uncertainly. “The problem is, Senator, that those rules have become somewhat blurred of late. Yet there are some who would argue that at a time of war the Republic needs strong, centralised leadership. Even some among the Jedi would say that.” “What yousa think?” Danta asked suddenly. Padmé considered this for a moment. “I've seen this war firsthand,” she said, “and I don’t want it to continue another moment more than necessary, even if that means making certain sacrifices. But,” she added cautiously, “who is to say that these security measures won’t continue after the war is over? It has happened before on other systems on a smaller scale, there’s no reason that it couldn’t happen in this case.” “That is exactly what we fear,” Bail agreed. “We cannot let a thousand years of democracy disappear without a fight.” “A fight?” Padmé asked incredulously. “But…what are you suggesting?” “It may seem a little ‘extreme’ as you have said,” Mon Mothma interjected. “But we need to know if the Jedi are willing to stand with us.” Padmé wasn’t sure what to answer. And how could they be told that the integrity of the Jedi could not be depended upon? Anakin searched the Temple for Padmé, he needed to see her before the briefing started. Yet she wasn't to be found. Not in her room, and no one he asked had seen her since last night. He was about to give up his search when he heard the familiar sound of shifting gears. Anakin sighed, he had been trying to avoid C-3PO as the droid reminded him too much of his mother. Yet somehow Threepio always seemed to find him. He was no longer as battered when Anakin had brought him from Tatooine, yet the slight nervousness that Threepio seemed to permeate remained. “Oh, Master Anakin!” trilled the protocol droid. “It is such a relief that you are undamaged.” “Thank you, Threepio,” said Anakin in a very patient voice. “Artoo was just explaining to me what you have been through,” Threepio went on. “And it seems a positive wonder that you are alive, though Artoo has been known to exaggerate.” Artoo seemed not to like this, he emerged from behind Threepio making a rude noise. “Careful, Artoo,” warned C-3PO, “how many times have I told you to watch your language? No blame to you, Master Anakin, but it seems as if Artoo has picked up a few bad habits in his travels.” “Give him a bit more credit, Threepio,” Anakin pleaded, then something occurred to him. “You haven’t seen Padmé, have you?” “No, I am afraid I have not, Master Anakin,” replied the protocol droid but R2-D2 chattered excitedly. “He says he saw Padmé leaving early this morning,” Threepio translated. “Quite urgently, he says.” “Does he know where she was going?” Anakin asked. Artoo warbled mournfully. “Artoo says—” Threepio began but Anakin interrupted him, he didn’t need a translation. “Thanks, Artoo, I need to be going.” Anakin quickly left them without further warning. Artoo mumbled a question to his taller counterpart. “No, I don’t know at all what is bothering Master Anakin,” Threepio answered. “But I have a fair idea that it is all your fault.” Artoo objected to this. “Stupid little short circuit!” retorted Threepio, jerkily moving to kick the astromech droid but Artoo quickly moved out of his way. “Come back here!” called Threepio, walking jerkily after the whistling Artoo. The briefing was almost over when Anakin saw Padmé politely shuffle past several knees to take her seat. After that he completely lost interest in what Obi-Wan was saying, his thoughts were on Padmé and why she had turned up so late. Was it anything to do with what Senator Organa said yesterday? With a start Anakin suddenly realised the briefing was over, Jedi were beginning to disperse so Anakin made his way over to Padmé. She merely smiled at him, walking over to where Obi-Wan was shutting down the holoprojector. “I need to talk to you,” she said. “Can you wait a moment?” Obi-Wan asked, he turned to Anakin. “The Chancellor has requested your presence.” “What for?” asked Anakin. “He didn’t say,” Obi-Wan told him. “His shuttle merely arrived not long ago with the summons.” “He didn’t inform the Jedi Council?” queried Anakin. “That’s unusual.” “It is,” agreed Obi-Wan. “And it’s making me feel uneasy.” He regarded Anakin seriously, walking close and talking in a low voice. “Be careful of your friend Palpatine.” “Be careful?” Anakin asked. “What do you mean?” “I know you are a friend of his, but he may not be a friend of yours,” Obi-Wan explained. “I know the Council has grown wary of the Chancellor's power,” Anakin said, “mine also for that matter. Aren't we all working together to save the Republic? Why all this distrust?” Obi-Wan didn’t answer straight away, he glanced at Padmé briefly with a worried expression. “Relations between the Council and the Chancellor are…strained,” he explained feebly. “But what does that have to do with me?” Anakin demanded. “The Force grows dark, Anakin,” Obi-Wan told him, “and we are all affected by it. Be wary of your feelings.” When Anakin had gone Obi-Wan let his displeasure of this meeting with the Chancellor show. He looked at Padmé. “You can see that I still have reservations about this friendship,” he told her. “Yet I know of no way of explaining that to him.” “Anakin sees Palpatine as a father-figure,” Padmé asserted with a smile. “Much in the same way he views you.” “I know, I know, and that’s what worries me,” Obi-Wan said. “Would you be able to talk to him?” “I don’t really think it’s my place, Obi-Wan,” Padmé told him “You have a lot more influence with Anakin that you realise,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “As I told you, I’ve tried to talk to him about it many times but he wouldn’t listen. He’s…well blinded by his own views of the Chancellor that he refuses to see him as he really is.” “I’ve seen that too,” Padmé noted. “What makes you think he’ll listen to me?” “I don’t know, but it may sound better coming from you than from me,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But don’t tell him I said this, it may have some…unexpected effects.” “I’ll do my best,” Padmé promised and Obi-Wan knew his doubts were satisfied. “So, what is you wanted to talk to me about?” he asked her. “I don’t really know how much I can say,” Padmé explained. “But I felt I needed to say something, it’s about the new system of regional governors.” “From what I hear they were passed by considerable acclamation,” remarked Obi-Wan, but they both knew what that really meant. “You are saying that you have reservations about this? I have some myself, and I am not the only one who thinks that way.” “You mean there are those among the Council who disagree with Palpatine’s policies?” Padmé asked carefully. “Well…yes,” admitted Obi-Wan uncertainly, not sure where this was going. He decided to be completely frank with her. “Padmé, you know there is only so much I can say about the Council. I would like to be completely honest with you, but I can’t.” “I understand that, Obi-Wan,” Padmé said. “But that isn’t the reason I approached you. It’s just been…well, revealed to me that something’s going to happen.” “What are you talking about?” the Jedi Master asked. “I don’t really know myself,” Padmé confessed. “But we may have to choose sides. We may have to consider doing the right thing and not what we have to do.” Obi-Wan was speechless, it was more or less what Mace had told him yesterday afternoon. But how could she know that?
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